A young architect from CODI facilitates the design process of a group of squatters.
In the tradition of "Wikipedia," the squatters collectively input their own designs and planning.
The architect role is there to tell people some simple rules; then let the more complex design
variations to emerge by themselves
There are an estimate total of 325 households in the entire settlement,
we are seeing only a slice of the entire population here; they're the
first to act on their own behalf. They have started their own "saving
groups" that would soon serve as a foundation for the new squatters'
cooperative.
The land belongs to the Siam Cement Group (SCG), but the company is eager to experiment with the idea of "land sharing" pioneered by Ms. Somsook Boonyabancha - CODI's emeritus director. According to this scheme, the land owner retains a portion of the land for his own development while allowing the squatters to lease (30- year term) another portion of their land on a higher density (2-story to 3 story houses instead of 1-story).